The Griffin Free Public Library now offers passes to the Canterbury Shaker Village and The Fells, courtesy of the Friends of the Library. 
 

The Fells is one of New England's finest examples of an early 20th-century summer estate. Take an historic guided tour of the 22-room Colonial Revival summer home of John Milton Hay; stroll the length of the 100-foot Perennial Border; discover the Old Garden, hidden behind masses of rhododendron; and admire the view of Lake Sunapee from the formal Rose Terrace and renowned hillside Rock Garden where a brook trickles to a Japanese water lily pool. The Fells; Historic estate and gardens on Lake Sunapee  456 Route 103A, Newbury, New Hampshire
 

Canterbury Shaker Village, Inc., is an internationally-known non-profit museum founded in 1969 to preserve the heritage of the Canterbury Shakers. Designated as a National Historic Landmark for its architectural integrity and significance, the Village has 25 restored original Shaker buildings, 4 reconstructed Shaker buildings, and 694 acres of forests, fields, gardens, nature trails, and mill ponds under permanent conservation easement. Canterbury Shaker Village, 288 Shaker Road, Canterbury NH 03224, 603-783-9511

 

 

A lot will be happening at the Griffin Free Public Library this month, so get out your calendars and mark the following days!

On Saturday, yes we are now open on Saturdays during the summer, August 7th at 10:30 a.m. kids are invited to come in and beat the heat with a little bit of crafting. Stamper Holly V. will offer a stamping workshop for children.  For $5.00, participants will decorate and take home a treasure box, notebook and bookmark. 

On Thursday, August 12th at 6:30 p.m., Holly V. will offer a card making workshop.  The cost is $.50 cents a card with 5 varieties of card to create. 

How to be Hospitable When Guests Keep Getting in the Way - Tuesday, August 17th at 7:00 p.m., the library will welcome New Hampshire innkeeper and author Mary Lou Fuller. Mrs. Fuller and her husband were owners of the Fitzwilliam Inn located in the Monadnock region for 10 years, after which she wrote the book "A Horse in the Ladies Room". During the program she will share her experiences as her husband's apprentice, including the challenges of dealing with characters, chaos and charm as innkeepers in one of New Hampshire's oldest hotels. Mary Lou recounts the challenges and humor in topics such as: musical chairs, buses, banquets and brides, one car- two drivers, on the rocks with a twist, and don't wake the Indians.

Look for the following programs in the upcoming months:

Spies in Time, September 21st at 7:00 p.m., How have spying and intelligence activities influenced the course of history? Investigate case studies of how great powers have used spies in war and peace. This program traces the history of spying from the Dreyfus case in France (1894-1906) to the Aldrich Ames case in the U.S. (1980s and 1990s). Discussion will focus on how human motives, traits, and ideas shape the search for secret information and how that information is used and misused in international affairs.

Brewing in New Hampshire: An Informal History of Beer in the Granite State, October 18th at 7:00 p.m., We will explore the fascinating history of New Hampshire's beer and ale brewing industry from Colonial days, from when it was home and tavern-based, to today's modern breweries and brew pubs. Unusual and rare photos and advertisements document this changing industry and the state's earliest brewers, including the renowned Frank Jones. A number of lesser-known brewers and breweries that operated in the state are also discussed, including the only brewery owned and operated by a woman before the modern era. Illustrations present evidence of society's changing attitudes towards beer and alcohol consumption over the years. Whether you're a beer connoisseur or a ″tea-totaler″, this lecture will be enjoyed by adults of all ages. Anticipating an oft-asked question... Sorry, there are no beer samples given out at this lecture.